This article takes the third place, after « Starday Custom Series », part 1 (1953-1955), part 2 (1955 to March 1956), to be found in this site. Just type in the research bottom, upper right.

MID WEST RECORDS 551 MOWEE JOHNSON (April 1956)

Wichita, KS

551-A – I Hope Tomorrow Never Comes

(No Writers Credit) (No Publ. Info)

551-B – What Am I Going To Do

(No Writers Credit) (No Publ. Info)

Yet again, another artist had slipped past my radar and vanished into that « Bermuda Triangle » of obscure artists.

STARDAY RECORDS 552 LUCKY WRAY (April 1956)

(Artist based at time of disc in Washington, DC)

ST-2421 – It’s Music She Says

(Cindy Davis / Larry Stone) (Starrite BMI)

ST-2422 – Sick And Tired

(Cindy Davis / Joe Drew) (Starrite BMI)

Lucky, Doug and the more famous sibling, Link hailed from North Carolina, although by the early 50’s they were playing in and around Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia. Lucky (real name Vern) took the name ‘lucky’ because of his luck at gambling. The original band were called Lucky Wray and the Lazy Pine Wranglers, playing mainly C&W / Hillbilly music. They worked mainly at the Fernwood Farms Dance Hall in Virginia. By 1955, they had renamed themselves Lucky Wray & the Palomino Ranch Hands and had relocated to Washington, DC, which included Shorty Horton on bass. The tracks above (and the other two singles) were cut at Ben Adelman’s studio. The A side on this disc bops along with Links’ guitar to the fore and an unknown steel guitarist – a hillbilly bopper that’s almost Rock-A-Billy. Flip is more mainstream hillbilly with Vern in fine vocal form and nice harmonies in the chorus. Both sides sport a Starday matrix which makes wonder if Starday were considering placing this in their main series instead of pressing it up as a custom.

Tough as old boots hillbilly bopper, bordering on early rock-a-billy from Alton and his Boogie Blues Boys from Judsonia, Arkansas. About a year after this disc was pressed, Guyon’s manager sent Starday four more sides for consideration which were (sadly) rejected. Quite why they didn’t press these onto a Starday Custom is anybody’s guess. As an aside, the A side was recorded by Buddy Phillips for the CKM label from Bald Knob, AR, with the flip (Coffee Baby) also written by K Murphy and Alton. I wonder if this track is also one of the remaining unissued sides, the last one being « Bop Bobby Sox Bop » (first time the word « bop » appears on a Starday recording).

STARDAY RECORDS 554 MARTY LICKLIDER (April 1956)

(Artist based in OH at time of release)

45-554-A – Cold Hands, Warm Heart

(Licklider) (Starrite BMI)

45-554-B – Our Anniversary Day

(Licklider) (Starrite BMI)

Mr. Licklider was business manager, singer, guitarist and song writer for a band called the Fox Hunters. Marty was also a DJ on WICA (Ashabula, OH) in 1952. The Fox Hunters consisted of Marty, Buell Licklider (Marty’s brother) on mandolin and bass fiddle, Andy Hill (violin), Eddie Allen (accordian) and Marty’s son, Larry who also played a violin. Marty had at least one disc issued on Coral (64126) (« Down By The Missouri River » / « I Don’t Want My Darlin’ To Cry. ») The A side of this disc is a very pleasant hillbilly bopper with good steel & lead guitar. Flip is a ballad about the joys of marriage. Billboard described this disc on the 28th April, 1956 as:- « Cold hands, Warm Heart » – Licklider, new to the label, has a deep voice and relaxed style that reminds the listener of the incomparable Ernest Tubb. He employs his voice to good advantage on this humorous, bouncy tune. » « Our Anniversary Day » – « The singer portrays the feelings of a couple that has been happy in marriage for many years. A thoughtfully presented reading that many country deejays will want to program. »

Another offering from Luke. The A side is more in the sad Hank Williams vein. Flipside is a superior country rocker with some fantastic lead guitar bubbling behind his vocals. . Luke’s got one of those voices a cross between Hank Williams and Luke McDaniels.

H and C RECORDS 556OKLAHOMA MELODY BOYS

Vcl by Jearl Ritter (April 1956)

Tulsa, OK

45-556-A – Wasted

(Goldie Hood) (Starrite BMI)

45-556-B – Your Heart And Mine

(Thelma Conrad / Goldie Hood) (Starrite BMI)

Nothing on this band. Possibly T. Texas Tyler’s band that he used on some of his 4-Star recordings. Nothing again on Jearl Ritter or Goldie Hood (who penned both sides.) Both sides of the disc is pleasant hillbilly.

SULLIVAN RECORDS 557 THE LEWIS FAMILY

(No known location)

557-A – Lights In The Valley

(No credits) (No publication info)

557-B – My Jesus is the one

(No credits) (No publication info)

SULLIVAN RECORDS 558 THE LEWIS FAMILY (April 1956)

(No known location)

558-A – Did You Do What The Lord Said To Do

(No credits) (No publication info)

558-B – Wait a little long please Jesus

This and the previous disc are yet another in a long line of blanks where info is concerned. The « Lewis Family » were a reasonably successful gospel band, but there may have been two different groups with the same name so I’m not sure which one is which – without hearing them and seeing the discs of course which, after 20 years, I’m still waiting to do.

STARDAY RECORDS 559 DON OWENS and the Circle « O » Ranch Boys

(Artist based around Arlington, VA) (May 1956)

45-559-A – Somethings You Cannot Change

(Owens) (Starrite BMI)

45-559-B – Adios Novia

(Owens) (Starrite BMI)

This Don Owens was a DJ who broadcasted over WARL (Arlington, VA)and he once appeared on a Jimmie Rogers Memorial Show with the likes of Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb. (Billboard lso mentioned that attendance was very good despite the almost torrential rain that poured from the heavens that day. He also appeared before the Pastore Senate Subcommittee in 1958, saying that » … The strongest condemnation of rock & roll and country music comes from people who have never spent five minutes paying attention to it. » (Good for him, although, as a DJ & musical director of Arlington’s only country music station, I doubt if he was defending R&R – but still … kudos to the man for speaking his ind in public.) A further tale from this artists was mentioned in Billboard in Oct 55 which states … « Don Owens, WARL, Arlington, VA debuted a new ballad recently on one of his shows that was composed by a local detective and his prisoner. The unusual writing team got together when detective Alvin Fuchsman picked up 24 year old Ted Borrelli of Hoboken, NJ on a vagrancy charge. Upon discovering that the prisoner had with him some 50 odd poems that he had written, the detective put music to a few, tape recorded one of them (« Underneath The Lamp Post ») which was later played by dee-jay Owens.

Sadly, Don Owens was killed when he fell asleep at the wheel of his car (this was the second, or third time he had fallen asleep at the wheel.) It is said this was due to the long hours as a DJ, and his TV Show.

Musically, Don almost talks his way through the A side instead of singing. It’s a nice love song I guess and the band are excellent. Flip side is more of the same really. I could hear Hank Williams singing this song better.

STARDAY RECORDS 560 JERRY HANSON(May 1956)

45-560-A – Cry

(Jack Rhodes / Jerry Hanson) (Starrite BMI)

45-560-B – I’m Doing All Right

(Jack Rhodes / Jerry Hanson) (Starrite BMI)

In 1954, Hanson was appearing on the « Western Star Serenade » Hillbilly show out of Tyler, TX and somehow ended up at Jack Rhodes cozy little motel out of Mineola, TX, where he probably cut these sides. Sometime later (or even perhaps earlier), Jerry cut a faster take of B-side (issued on « Gene Vincent Cut Our Songs » CD.

« Cry » is a nice song, more country than anything else and Jerry and Jack Rhodes were hoping to pitch it to a good and known country singer through Capitol Records. « I’m Doing All Right« , on the other hand is a tight, moody rockabilly classic with a threadbare feel, fronted by Hanson’s assured vocals. Although I can hear quite a few artists covering « Cry« , Jerry OWNS the B side and I can’t quite imagine anyone else covering the song as well as Hanson does.

Hanson later appears on Ed Manney’s Bluebonnet and Manco labels (Both are good vocally, especially the Bluebonnet 45) and on Colpix and then he disappears into thin air.

STARDAY RECORDS 561 JIMMY JOHNSON (May 1956)

45-561-A – Woman Love

(Jack Rhodes) (Central Songs BMI)

45-561-B – All Dressed Up

(J Rhodes / D Carter / D Nalls) (Starrite BMI)

Born in 1930 in Smith County, Jimmy Johnson played guitar, fiddle and sang in Jack Rhodes Ramblers(sometimes known as the Lone Star Buddies). Whilst appearing on RD Hendon’s Western Jamboree Club in Houston, he was approached and offered a recording contract by Solomon Kahal, who owned the local Freedom label. (« Salt Your Pillow Down » being recognised as a classic example of East Texas honky-tonk/hillbilly.) After a couple of sessions, Jack Rhodes got him signed up for Columbia records where he recorded some great tunes (« Eternity » & « Mama Loves Papa » being the best of the bunch.) Then the Korean war came along and Jimmy was drafted. He came back a changed man, haunted by what he experienced on that war torn peninsula. He married Billie Jo Spear’s sister (Betty Lou), had three children and worked for a local oil drilling company, with all the hopes of cashing in on his Columbia recording contract fading rapidly.

Like Jerry Hanson, Jimmy was frequently found recording at Jack Rhodes’s motel in Mineola, TX. For the session (recorded probably in March 56), Jimmy sang and played lead guitar, his wife on rhythm and Leon Hayes played an upright bass. Jack Rhodes mailed copy tapes to Cliffie Stone who had acetates made up for Ken Nelson, A&R supremo for Capitol Records. Whilst impatiently waiting for Ken to put the record out by somebody – hell, ANYBODY, Jack got 300 copies pressed up by Starday, who put it out on their custom series instead of on their main series . « Woman Love » was eventually recorded by Gene Vincent, although it was « Be-Bop-A-Lula » that became the hit, which brought in some nice royalty checks for Rhodes.

« Woman Love » is a brooding shuffler with Jimmy’s deep and urgent vocals grabbing most of the attention. « All Dressed Up » is the faster side (but not by much) with Leon & Betty Lou joining in on the choruses. Quite why Jimmy didn’t go on to cut more records with that great voice of his is beyond me really. Still, I suppose cutting one of the most famous « Starday Customs » is something worth being remembered for.

GIBSON RECORDS 562 KING STERLING(May 1956)

(No Location)

45-HD-562-A – Slippin’ Out – Stealing In

(R L Blythe / J M Alstatt) (Starrite BMI)

45-HD-562-B – Alone, Lonesome And Blue

(R L Blythe / J M Alstatt) (Starrite BMI)

Apparently, this artist became Sterling Blythe who recorded for Sage & Sand (can anybody confirm this?) A quick trawl through Billboard magazines found a few titbits on this artist. He was signed up to the KWKH Artist Services Bureau, run by Horace Logan, (booking manager of the Louisiana Hayride), and around Feb. ’57, he was listed as one of the Hayride’s personnel. By March 57 he was also appearing over KRBB (El Dorado, AR) on the King’s Corrall Show. By then, he’d managed to get on the Starday main series with « What Will The Answer Be » / « Not Much » (#298) which was reviewed by Billboard on the 3rd of June that year. (They described the A side as a … »highly effective weeper. »

That description pretty much described the A side of this disc as well. Sterling’s got a nice voice for these kind of songs, a little like Werly Fairburn in places. Flipside is a mid-tempo hillbilly number with nice steel and lead guitar with fiddle filling up the spaces behind the vocals. (I especially like the slight miss-fingering by the guitarist on the solo.

Having not heard the A side, I make up for it with having the B side all lined up for me to swoon over. Not the usual gospel stuff, just a clear stab at breaking into this new fangled « Cat Music. » He sounds a little unsure of himself while he’s wailing away at this type of music but it’s a winner of a song. Band provide good support (as Billboard would say).

STARDAY RECORDS 564 TEX DIXON(May 1956)

(Possibly a Tennessee Artist)

45-564-A – Your Lovin’ Lies

(Jimmie Atkins / Walter Dickey) (Starrite BMI)

45-564-B – I’m Just Feeling Sorry For Myself

(Jimmie Atkins / Walter Dickey) (Starrite BMI)

This artist was pretty prolific during the 50’s and early 60’s. His real name was Walter Dee Dickey and he recorded under the name Mason Dixon for Reed Records (but the Mason Dixon on Meteor is a different artist), Walter Dixon on Erwin Records and Tex Dixon on this release and also on Zone and Stompertime Records from Memphis, TN. He was a regular on the Dixie Hayride (Florence, AL). Walter was blessed with a voice that could do stone-cold country and Rock-A-Billy in a blink of an eye. Both tunes here were co-wrote by Jimmie Atkins, an artist he shared billing with on a 45rpm on Alfa Records. Both sides represented here are similar, heartbreaking hillbilly songs with steel guitar being the main instrument.

Mr. Joel Russell wrote (Jan. 25, 2014) that: « I saw the record and the photo of Tex Dixon on your site. The writers of the song was listed as Jimmie Adkins and Walter Dickey. Walter Dickey was his real name and Tex Dixon was ONE of his pseudonymns. My dad was Speedy Russell, and back in the fifties, dan and Walter were best buds and they played all the honkeytonks together. Dad was THE steel guitar player back in those days in the Bessemer, Alabama area. That is where Walter did most of his music. Walter had high hopes of becoming a big nashville star, but he never made it. There are several 45’s out there of him, and he paid to record every one of them. My mom and his wife would go with them sometimes to gigs and walter would tell them to stay away from them so the women in the bar would think they were single. Dad an walter used to go out, play music, dad would get drunk and go home with some whore night after night and when he would finally come home, he would beat up my mother. Of course she was a bitch and deserved it. I was born during all that. Thought I’d give you some history of Walter « tex dixon » Dickey from Bessemer, Alabama. »

Another fine offering by the excellent Luke Gordon. The A side fully embraces the new music style that was frequently pushing aside country music at the time, whilst staying true to his musical roots. The band once again are excellent. Once again, Luke ventured to Ben Adelman’s cool little studio on Cedar Street in Washington DC to record these tracks. I haven’t heard the flip side as yet, nor have I seen the record.

MOVIE CRAFT 566 ROD BURTON – Moviecraft Orchestra

930 West 7th Place, Los Angeles 17, CA (June 1956)

566-A – I’d Like To Be A Baby Sitter

(Morris-Gerard) (Golden State Songs BMI)

566-B – « I’m Dolling You Up For » Somebody Else

(Morris-Gerard) (Golden State Songs BMI)

Another musical blank. Possibly a song-poem.

STARDAY RECORDS 567 FRANK EVANS and his Top Notchers

(Artist from Tampa FL at time of release.) (June 1956)

45-567-A – Go On And Be Carefree

(Gene Rutland) (Starrite BMI)

45-567-B – What Is It (That I’m Too Young To Know)

(Gene Rutland) (Starrite BMI)

By the time Frank came around to recording another disc for Starday (albeit on the custom series), he had organised his own backing band – the Top Notchers. The band were Arnold Newman (ld gtr), Roland Newman (fdl), Pip Studenberg (bs) and Colin Thomas (Stl gtr – who doesn’t appear on this disc). The drummers name is long forgotten. This was recorded at WHBO in Tampa FL.

The A side is a pleasant enough hillbilly disc, but it’s the flip side that catches your attention. Taken at a fast clip, this has an almost « bluegrass » feel to it. Pretty cool stuff for a bunch of youngsters!

A second offering from Carl, this time supported by one Ivena Buckins. A side is a slow hillbilly disc with sawing fiddles and Carl & Ivena take turns in singing portions of the song. Ivena’s voice is a little flat here and there – (in fact, Carl struggles a little too – almost like the key is slightly too low for him to sing in.). The flip side is taken at a breath-taking tempo, with both singers sound much more comfortable with the song. The band cook up a storm throughout this side.

STARDAY RECORDS 569 COUSIN ARNOLD and his Country Cousins (June 1956)

(Artist located in Rock Hill, SC at time of release.)

45-569-A – Be My Baby, Baby Doll

(A E Baynard) (Starrite BMI)

45-569-B – What is Life To You

(A E Baynard – Glenn Martin) (Starrite BMI)

Billboard reveals that Cousin Arnold is one Arnold E Baynard who was the commercial manager of WTYC, Rock Hills, SC (Summer 56). BB (August 13, 1955) mentions that Arnold and his band are » … new to the South Carolina area and are doing a weekly half-hour sponsored show over WTYC. They were also doing a weekly bard dance at a lodge in Rock Hill. By November 1955 he was also doing « Day Break In Dixie » which was a 6:00 – 6:30 am segment in addition to his 1:00 – 2:00 over the same radio station. It also mentions he has penned two songs « Be My Love » & « If I Were A Millionaire » which he ‘s trying to get recorded. Did he ever record these? Anyhow, by the summer of 1956, he’d recorded the two tracks above and had them shipped to Starday for a pressing run of 300 copies.

The A side is a jolly old hillbilly song with a banjo as the main instrumental. It’s a bit of a « sermon » rather than an actual song, but pleasant enough I guess. Flip side is a torrid Country / Rock-A-Billy cross over which flies along at a fast pace. Good guitar and steel throughout with that rather annoying banjo threatening to take over at the slightest provocation. Marvelous stuff indeed! (MC)

STARDAY RECORDS 570 ARNOLD PARKER and the Southernairs

Cuerco, TX (June 1956)

45-570-A – People Laugh At A Fool

(A Parker – W Adams) (Starrite BMI)

45-570-B – Find A New Woman

(W Adams – J Hill) (Starrite BMI)

Arnold was born on January 25th 1936 in Cuerco, TX and has been singing since standing up in his local church and belting out a song as a small child. Once Arnold graduated from high school, he became the featured vocalist for a popular dance band called The Southernairs, playing mainly around the south Texas area.

With regards to the record above, I’m gonna let Arnold do the talking – well – writing – which he sent to me by email:

« The musicians on the record were the exact 8 piece band that we had in the 1950s. The intro and the second guitar lead is Ken Williams. The first guitar lead is Jack Hill who actually wrote « Find a New Woman ». We recorded this at ACA Studios in Houston, Texas in 1956. Walter Adams was my so called manager at the time and he set up the recording and handled everything. I don’t remember the exact amount but I know we got quite a few copies to begin with and then went back and got more later. Radio stations in Texas and some in Louisiana played the song and we did perform it live quite a bit on our dance jobs. I also made some trips around to a number of radio stations plugging the record. There were a couple of local stations that conducted a weekly hit parade and the record showed up in the top 10 on those. »

Parker first ever record, 1954

I’ve never heard the A side. But the flip is one of the best, killer Rock-A-Billy records ever pressed on Starday – some achievement when you think they also issued Sonny Fisher, Truitt Forse, Bob Doss and many, many others. Parts of the solo has an almost western-swing – twin guitar feel to it but it’s the biting intro and end part of the solo that gets my heart a-pounding. Arnold’s got one of those voices which can make a plain country record great and effortlessly slip into RaB without almost no effort at all! (His Sarg recordings are also darn good, although not as great as this disc) Billboard described this disc as follows: (17 Nov 56) « A side – Wistful warbling on an appealing weeper » B side – » Parker sells a bouncy rock and roller with verve and good beat » Understatement of the year! In December of that year, it also mentions that he had joined the deejay staff at KULP, El Campo, TX. Again, in BB, on the 4th August, it mentions the members of the Southernaires.

About the same time as the recording, Arnold and the band made their first appearance on the Louisiana Hayride. (He also met Elvis Presley here and discussed Arnolds home-made shirt his mother had made for him.) In February 1957, he met the love of his life – Jeanette Catherine Wendt in El Campo, TX and 3 months later he left the band and got married. The early 60’s finds him in Victoria, TX and he was fronting a band called The Mustangs and recording for Charlie Fitch’s Sarg Records. (He had recorded with the Sarg label before this disc too.) He continued playing until 1973 when he decided to spend more time with his family. But, as the music bug seems to linger in all true musicians, even today he steps up on stage and belts out a country tune and the odd RaB number for the crowd. Arnold also recorded for Wildcat Records.

ALABAMA GOSPEL RECORDS 571THE TOM HARMON TRIO

(Unknown Location) (June 1956)

(Pno Acc: by Dan Garrett)

45-571-A – I’d Like To Know

(T Harmon) (Starrite BMI)

45-571-B – God’s Miracles

(T Harmon – J T Clark) (Starrite BMI)

Pleasant Gospel Music, spoilt perhaps by the « recorded at home » sound quality of the disc. Who ever the female vocalist is, her voice cuts through everybody else’s efforts.

BIG STATE RECORDS 572JACK FROST and his Band

No. 8 Manchester Road, Wichita Falls, KS (July 1956)

45-572-A – There Is No Tomorrow

(Ken Blackridge) (Starrite BMI)

45-572-B – Crying My Heart Out

(Ken Blackridge) (Starrite BMI)

No knowledge about Jack Frost and his Band. Both sides are western swing, like an early Texas Playboys with trumpet, guitar, fiddle – the whole nine yards of western swing sophistication. The B side is the better of the two in my opinion but they are kind of similar so it’s hard to chose on from the other.

Lucky Chapman came from Frederick, Maryland – moved to Florida in the 1960’s – died around the late 60’s. Other info: The band re-cut the side ‘Bluegrass’ on the Fonotone label, which Joe Bussard owned – it was cut down in Joe’s basement on July 26, 1959 – the flip side being the Bill

Monroe classic ‘Put My Little Shoes Away‘ (Fonotone 617) Lucky Chapman – guitar; Bill Berry* – mandolin; John Duffey – mandolin. The band were working out of WFTR, Royal, VA in 1951, where Frank Esworthy was the bass player. The band consisted of Lucky, Frank (???) & Bill Poffinberger at this time.

(B-573 is an instrumental featuring John Duffy on mandolin. The B side was reissued on STARDAY EP-258.)

The Maryland issue was cut down in Lucky Chapman’s basement – when they received, and listened to the record, they were not happy with the sound – Joe says that Lucky Chapman said that they wished they had cut the sides at Joe’s.

Bill Berry was killed over at Brunswick, when coming out of an exit his car was hit by another.

They also cut a record on their own Traveler label: ‘Banjo Stretch’/’Cherished Memories‘ (Traveler 500), cut at Joe Bussard’s Studio.

MISSISSIPPI RECORDS 574HODGES BROTHERS

Box 101, Osyka, MS (July 1956)

45-574-A – I’m Gonna Rock Some Too

(Ruth Thompson) (Starrite BMI)

45-574-B – Because I Loved You So

(Ruth Thompson) (Starrite BMI)

The Hodges Brothers were one of many old time bluegrass / hillbilly bands that lived in a musical time warp deep in the US south. Rediscovered by Chris Strachwitz of the famed Arhoolie Record Co in 1960, their music still harked back to the twenties and thirties before the great depression.

Originally recording for Lillian McMurray’s Trumpet label, rockabilly fans will be more aware of their gut-kicking monster « Honey Talk » on Whispering Pines 201 from Indianapolis, IN .. But recently, this disc appeared out of nowhere and it knocks that disc into the bleachers. A solid arse kicking country bopper with great guitar work and lovely back-in-the-woods vocals.

All three brothers were born and raised in a small rural settlement called Bogue Chitto, MS. Felix (1923-1979) was the fiddler in the brothers band. Ralph (1927-1976) was the guitar / mandolin player and did most of the singing. James (1932- was the rhythm player. He was still alive in 2003.

STARDAY RECORDS 575 LUCKY WRAY

Washington, DC area

45-575-A – What-Cha Say Honey

(C Davis / J Drew / J Williams) (Action Music BMI)

45-575-B – Got Another Baby

(L Wray / Cindy Davis) (Starrite BMI)

Another great hillbilly offering (on the A side) and a chugging, almost threatening rocker on the B side. The B side is certainly a musical highlight in anybody’s life. This is the second of 3 45’s they had issued on Starday, leaving the best one ’til last (Starday 608).